In Sickness and In Pretending
by Teerisha
Summary: Harry needs his inheritance. Hermione needs her wizard citizenship. Enter Sirius' great idea and BOOM! Marriage of convenience. But when did pretending stop being pretending? Full summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

**Full Summary:** Harry and Hermione both need each other. Harry wants access to his inheritance. Hermione needs her wizard citizenship. Both things require marriage. At the urging of Harry's uncle and Hermione's mentor, the two embark on a journey where they encounter immigration officers, awkward living situations, unexpected jealousy, and undiscovered feelings. When did pretending stop being pretending? Read on to find out.

 **Chapter 1**

 _ ***BEEP BEEP BEEP***_

Hermione forced her eyes open. _7:48PM._ "Oh shit!"

Hermione had never gotten ready so fast in her entire life. She scrambled all over her room in search of decent attire and her purse. After throwing on whatever she could get her hands on, she left her apartment with a loud slam of the door.

She hurriedly rushed into the bar and was clearly out of breath. Her psycho boss was nowhere in sight. _Thank the heavens._ She headed towards a middle-aged woman who was gingerly drying off some wine glasses. "Thank you so much Beth! I owe you one, again. I'll take over from here!" Hermione quickly pulled her hair into a tight bun, smoothed out the uncooperative strands, and tied the black apron behind her back. She was running on only 4 hours of sleep because it was finals week at her University. It was tough being a double major, work-study student _and_ intern.

The woman only smiled. "It's alright dear. It was only a few minutes. I really do hate how anal Gerald gets with punctuality. It's not as if the place will spontaneously set on fire if you're just a second late," she said as she shook her head. "Just be sure to take care of yourself okay? I know how your tendencies get when you get swamped with school and work, you forget that you're only human," the older woman said with a raised eyebrow in a clearly disapproving manner. She grew to care a lot about Hermione; maybe because she reminded her of a younger version of herself.

She lifted her face from the glasses that she was drying, but only found herself alone once more. All she heard in response was a faint, "I pinky swear!" as Hermione's shadow disappeared into the nearby room.

On the opposite end of the bar, Harry was on his fourth round of fire whiskey. He had a gorgeous girl on each arm; one was a busty blonde and the other was a bodacious brunette. He actually couldn't care less about either one of them, in all honesty. They were just distractions. All he wanted to do was forget. He didn't want to feel the pain anymore. And for some reason, the only coping mechanism he could come up with was women and alcohol.

He rigidly stared down at his cup and mindlessly traced the rim with his finger, as if it would somehow do the trick and fix his problems. His sharp peripheral vision, a skill that led him to be one of the most sought out Seekers ever, quickly caught the entrance of a new figure to this left. His eyes instinctively shifted towards the movement.

His finger stopped.

He was instantly drawn to the new woman that just arrived behind the bar. Her aura was shockingly alluring to him. He's been through countless amounts of women in the last few weeks, yet none have interested him as much as this particular girl. She was simply… bewitching. He was startled at his own reaction.

He had to talk to her.

He quickly dismissed the blonde to his left, in order to free one of his hands; he's always preferred brunettes anyway. She gave a small pout and dejectedly walked away. The brunette to his right gleamed with triumph as she happily squeezed his arm, completely unaware that she had already lost too.

Harry waved the new bartender over. The closer that she got, the more flustered Harry seemed to get. It stirred different feelings in him that he was not aware of. _What is the matter with me?_

She greeted him with a warm smile, her eyes read exhausted, and he commended her effort to stay cheerful despite. "Good evening sir, what could I get for you?" Hermione politely asked.

Chocolate met Emerald.

Her heart skipped a beat. She was instantly drawn to him as well and was surprised. Sure she's had her fair share of male attention, however none ever really sparked her interest enough to have her entertain it. _Bollocks. This man is extremely handsome. Especially those eyes of his. It's like they're looking into my soul._ Hermione thought.

His green eyes playfully danced like a well-fed forest fire.

"Surprise me."

He threw in his signature smirk that made all the ladies swoon. She blinked twice. He could have sworn that for a split second, a look of desire flashed in her eyes. Harry couldn't be one hundred percent sure and thus deduced that she was merely good at hiding it.

His curve ball was easily caught by Hermione. "Coming right up!" Hermione enthusiastically said and quickly put her herself to work. Her hands expertly assembled the complicated beverage together. She gracefully poured in the various liquids and the corresponding amounts required for her concoction. She felt like she was back in elementary chemistry. The look of concentration on her face was extremely attractive to Harry. She topped off the sunset-inspired drink with a colorful little umbrella and a proud smile.

He eyed the orange and pink drink with doubt. "Go on! I promise that it's not too bad," Hermione encouraged. He willingly took a sip.

As part of the game to capture this woman, Harry was going to compliment her drink regardless, however he was surprised to find himself actually being meaningful, "This is splendid! Why haven't I seen this here before?" He took another long sip and enjoyed the new flavors that invaded his mouth.

Hermione gave him a shy smile and was actually really happy that he liked it, "It's actually a personal favorite of mine and not on the official menu of this bar." She proceeded to grab a white towel from under the table. "I came up with it via self-experimentation."

"Well, I personally believe that this should definitely be on the menu." Harry proclaimed. She held back a bigger smile, simply nodded, and kept working.

"You look really worn out, love." Harry observed.

 _Terms of endearment huh?_ She raised an eyebrow.

Harry quickly caught himself, "I didn't mean that in a bad way! Your eyes just look a bit down that's all, like it could use some cheering up."

She chuckled, "That's what it feels like to be a broke college student," and continued to wipe down the counter.

The brunette was getting peeved at the excessive amount of flirting that had been taking place. "Harry, let's go back to your place," the girl to his right whined as she tugged at his arm. He shook it off and she huffed.

"Someone as beautiful as you shouldn't be at a place like this," Harry told Hermione as he openly ignored the brunette next to him.

Hermione raised an eyebrow at the girl who kept trying to get Harry's attention. Harry got annoyed at the brunette and turned to her. He let out a frustrated sigh and frowned.

"Look. Rebecca, it seems as though you don't quite… interest me anymore. You can go on without me." Harry said casually. Her jaw hit the floor faster than gravity would have willed. He waved his hand in front of her face.

"What are you staring at me for? Was I not clear? Earth to Bella," Harry said and he took another swig of his drink, "Off you go Belle. Or was it Ana?" Harry was genuinely confused about the girl's name.

She grabbed her bag and hit Harry with it twice, to which Harry only laughed at. The girl screamed as she walked away, "For the _millionth_ time, it's Brittany! Brittany! Asshole!" Harry victoriously smiled as he raised his drink towards her retreating figure, "Farewell sweetie!"

"Women are so dramatic," Harry chuckled and bought his drink to his lips once more.

Hermione's opinion about Harry took a 180 degree turn and she frowned, "That was very, _very_ rude of you."

Harry merely shrugged and raised an eyebrow, "Whatever, there's always more where that came from. I'll miss how she would do all my cleaning though. I think I'll have to rehire a maid…or just use another one of these girls. Honestly, at the rate they throw themselves at me, it won't be too hard."

Hermione was visibly fuming. "Just because you're some apparently, well-known guy back in your town, doesn't give you any right to treat those poor girls like replaceable toys and to use them and throw them away at your convenience."

Harry just rolled his eyes. "Don't you know who I am?" Harry asked arrogantly, allowing the alcohol to finally take full reign.

Hermione lost her cool. "As a matter of fact, no. I do _not_ know who you are nor do I _care_ about who you are. I have a low tolerance for disrespectful people, like yourself, who get pleasure out of degrading others. So, please, do us both a favor and leave me alone."

 _What a jerk! No matter how handsome he is._ She started to walk away, trying to be the bigger person.

"You were better being smiley and obedient. How about we take that fine ass of yours back to my place and you– "

She stopped dead in her tracks.

Hermione's eyes flared with anger. "You insensitive arse!" Before she could stop herself, she grabbed the nearest drink and threw it directly into his face.

The iced drink quickly worked its magic. Harry jumped off of his seat and the shocked look on his face gave Hermione the utmost pleasure.

"This… is… Prada! Do you know how expensive this is? Probably worth your entire paycheck for a month!" Harry cursed some more as he looked down at his tie.

The owner of the bar came out of his office to check out all of the commotion and his eyes widened in horror. He rushed over to the scene and immediately gave Harry his beloved white handkerchief. "Mr. Potter! I am extremely sorry for her behavior! Let me take care of this for you."

He turned toward Hermione and bellowed, "You. Leave your apron on the counter immediately. You are fired! Effective now."

The adrenaline coursed through Hermione's veins and she couldn't care less. She swiftly took off her apron and walked out of the bar, head held high. Her goal of the day was to not get fired for being late, however she got fired anyway, albeit a different reason. Mission accomplished?

 _TeeRisha_

Harry knew that his uncle was one to concoct plans that were sometimes so grand that they were a hair away from absolute madness; who would expect less from one of the infamous Marauders right? He was at a complete loss at what Sirius had planned for him, but he had a gut feeling that it wasn't going to be a good thing. Harry took a deep breath and hoped for the best before arriving at the restaurant.

This was his first time here and was unaware of its practices. The front desk had him check in his coat and wand after which an escort arrived and took him to an elevator that required a number of keys in order to be given access to. Upon arrival at an unspecified floor, the doorman then led him through a secret passageway. As they neared the end of the tunnel, the restaurant's name finally came into full view.

Written in elegant cursive and bedazzled with the most beautiful gems, _Allure_ adorned the front entrance. Harry soon found himself standing before an amazing view. The massive amount of lights that lit up the night sky was simply breathtaking. The restaurant's ambiance set an intimate and romantic mood; from the soft chords of the piano to the silky scattered rose petals to the twinkling champagne glasses. All of the extra procedures were done in order to preserve the beauty of what is _Allure_.

Sirius saw him and beckoned him over with a welcoming smile. The pair gave each other a hearty hug. "It's been too long! Way too long!"

"Well maybe if you weren't always so busy, you'd care to save some time for your ole uncle," Sirius joked and playfully held his hand over his heart. Harry laughed at his uncle's antics.

Hermione shifted awkwardly, as if she was intruding on a private moment. Sirius noticed. "Oh! Harry, I would like you to meet my best and by far the most brilliant intern, Miss Hermione Granger."

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and willed herself to calm down. _Breathe in. Breathe out. She_ proceeded to stand up. _Breathe in. Breathe out_. She opened her eyes.

 _On the count of three, just turn around. You will be fine. For the most part._

 _One…_

 _Two…_

… _Three!_

She found herself face-to-face a very handsome man. Despite the suit covering him, she could tell that he was built and toned. His most attractive feature, though, was undoubtedly his eyes. They rivaled the best emeralds money could buy. _I feel like I've seen these eyes before._ Hermione tilted her head a little and wondered why the raven-haired young man looked extremely familiar to her.

The gears in Harry's mind were also shifting and trying to figure out where he had seen this woman before. Her soft-looking curls were as enticing as a smoothie on a hot summer day. She had a slim body that wasn't just skin and bones. She had a wonderful balance of muscle and fat. It wasn't her breasts or her bum that caught his attention, however. It was her eyes. They were inviting pools of chocolate, where the only coherent thought that came to mind revolved around him taking a dive straight into it.

And then it clicked.

They both narrowed their eyes at each other, both perplexed at how the universe decides to function.

"You again?!" they yelled.

Sirius unexpectedly dropped his glass of water at the outburst. Good thing that each table had a privacy charm whose sole purpose was act like a soundproof wall.

"I have to marry _this_?" Hermione said disgustedly. "Merlin, all hope is lost. This is horrible. I might as well kiss my memories of the wizarding world good-bye. At this rate, it will be impossible…"

It took Harry a second to process what Hermione started rambling about and then his eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Excuse me?" Harry exclaimed, " _Marriage?_ What in Merlin's name are you talking about?"

Hermione totally ignored Harry and exasperatedly said, "Sirius, you can't be serious!"

"Ha ha, very funny Hermione." Sirius playfully scolded. He noticed she looked livid and shifted his gaze away from her furious glare to try to change the subject.

"So… I'm guessing you two have met before?" Sirius asked as he watched the tension spike a multitude of degrees.

Hermione's glare didn't waver. "Yeah. You bet we did. _He_ was the reason that I got fired from my job back in England!"

"Now hold on a second. Don't try to blame this on me! _You_ were the one that poured a drink, that I also _paid_ for, all over me which ruined my favorite tie!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and scoffed, "Oh boo hoo, little rich boy over here soiled his tie. So what? There are other, more important problems in the world! Like, I don't know, global warming or world hunger?"

"You are absolutely despicable! Do you even have an idea about the sentimental value of that tie?" he sneered.

"Well, you are a total arse!" she spat back.

"Takes one to know one right?" he taunted.

"Oh please —"

"— are stupid!"

"immature! And—"

"Children... children…enough!" Sirius yelled. The pair stopped mid-argument and held their tongues. The fire that burned in their eyes was one strong enough to cause a 1st degree burn on a fireproof appliance.

He took a minute to let things simmer down. He looked between the two and tried to reason with them, "Come on guys. Please, just hear me out on this first. This will solve both of your problems. You get to kill two birds with one stone."

"I don't want to be married to him!" Hermione demanded, "there has to be another way."

Harry scoffed. "And who said that I would _ever_ want to be married to you?"

"Stop this right now!" Sirius ordered. He was getting a headache from their arguing.

"Look, I understand that you may have met each other in… not the best of situations. But you need to see the great benefits if you decide to work together. Just think of this as a temporary partnership, in which the two of you will only gain what you need."

Sirius first turned toward Hermione, "For you, its your permanent residency."

Then he turned to Harry and said, "For you its your inheritance and even your public appearance."

Silence.

"Let us all just calm down and discuss this like the mature adults that we are," Sirius said as he sat down, "Besides, I already paid for all of this, so the least you could do for me as _your_ uncle and as _your_ mentor is have dinner like civilized people."

He played the guilt card on the both of them. It worked, but the two never broke their heated eye contact. Sirius propped open the menu and peered at the two from behind it.

Harry stepped aside and motioned towards the chair, "Ladies first."

Hermione shot him the fakest smile that she could managed. "With pleasure," Hermione said and immediately took her seat.

Sirius looked between the two again and it instantly reminded him of a younger version of Lily and James. Before the two had gotten together, James would always piss Lily off and it was a constant war. It was a sight that Sirius had grown accustomed to in their many years as students at Hogwarts and was a memory that he actually quite appreciated. He gave a sad smile as he reminisced for a second before he was pulled back to the real world with the arrival of the waiter.

"Good evening sir. Is your table ready to order?" Before Sirius could say yes, the two were still heavily engaged in visual warfare and failed to look over their menus.

"Actually, could you give us a few more minutes please?" Sirius asked kindly. The waiter nodded and moved on to the next table.

 _This is going to be a lovely dinner._

 **End of chapter 1**

A/N: One minute of your time for a review is what keeps me going and steadily chapters coming! I hope that you enjoyed it and join me on this wonderful love story! R&R! 3

 _xoxo,_

 _TeeRisha_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Shoutout to the "ReadwitReply" for pointing out some things that I didn't notice! Hermione didn't recognize the great Harry Potter from the bar because she was really tired (4 hours of sleep) and doesn't really keep up with Wizard pop culture (aka sports like Quidditch and celebs) prior to moving from England. In my head, Sirius never brought up Harry because it was never really necessary, until all of this stuff happened._

 _Thank you so much to all of my reviewers! Y'all really motivate me to keep writing and I love hearing from you! The MORE reviews (long or short), the FASTER I write ;)_

 **Full Summary:** Harry and Hermione both need each other. Harry wants access to his inheritance. Hermione needs her wizard citizenship. Both things require marriage. At the urging of Harry's uncle and Hermione's mentor, the two embark on a journey where they encounter immigration officers, awkward living situations, unexpected jealousy, and undiscovered feelings. When did pretending stop being pretending? Read on to find out.

 **Chapter 2**

It was Neville's first day on the job. After months of applying and getting denied and applying again, he finally got it! He was absolutely ecstatic about his new position as a waiter at the hottest restaurant of the wizarding world. He happily strutted to his first table, pen and paper ready in hand. He got to the table and enthusiastically greeted its guests, "Good evening everybody! My name is Neville and I will be taking over for Jeff. I hope that your night has been oh so lovely so far—"

He was interrupted by Hermione's icy tone, "As a matter of fact, my night has been _oh so lovely_ , with this _oh so lovely_ gentleman, in this _oh so lovely_ restaurant!" She ended her sentence with a forceful stab to her dinner roll. Neville was caught off guard and jumped.

He then looked at the man sitting across from Hermione and his jaw almost dropped to the ground. _It's Harry Potter!_ He had been a long fan of Harry's even back in their days at Hogwarts. _Calm yourself Neville. This is not the time to fangirl._

He proceeded to look between the two. If looks could kill, Neville was more than a hundred percent sure that the _Allure_ would have been front and center of all of the tabloids across the wizarding world for the mysterious deaths of Harry Potter and his… girlfriend?

Harry narrowed his eyes, reached across the table and grabbed Hermione's free hand. Though both would deny and carry this admission to the grave, they both knew that the contact instantly sent sparks through the both of them. "Why _wifey_ , I'm so glad that you're having an _oh so lovely_ time with me here. There's no place I'd rather be,"

Neville's once jolly smile had turned into a look of mortification. _Was it something I said? Did I offend Harry? Did I offend his wife? Wait a sec—He has a wife?_

He tried to salvage the conversation and turned to Hermione and nervously offered, "Madam! Uh— would you—um— like a sample of our house champagne?"

"Would you happen to have anything stronger? I think that I'll be needing it to get through this lovely night with my _hubby_." She tightened the grip and Harry was surprised at her strength.

Harry, never losing eye contact with Hermione, added, "What a wonderful idea! Please get enough for two of us."

As soon as he managed to get all of their orders, Neville immediately blasted away to the kitchen. Harry didn't even notice that his waiter was his old classmate. He was too focused on his stare down with Hermione.

Once the waiter was out of sight, Harry broke the stare and turned to his uncle.

"Sirius. Start explaining."

Sirius calmly wiped his mouth with his napkin and set aside his plate. He gave his nephew a small smile before continuing, "The thought occurred to me in the most unusual fashion, you see…"

 **Flashback**

 _Sirius noticed that Hermione was quieter than usual and walked over to her as she busied herself with fixing his messy bookshelf. She would usually be excitedly rambling about some new discoveries or repeating her favorite parts of Hogwarts: A History, but today she was oddly quiet._

" _Oy Hermione," Sirius inquired, "you seem to be a bit glum… did something happen?"_

 _Hermione gave a big sigh before turning around, "I got fired from my part time job at that one bar I've talked about because I apparently 'disrespected' one of their 'VIP' members."_

 _Sirius chuckled and knowingly shook his head in amusement._

" _But in my defense, he was being a huge arse and definitely deserved it!" Hermione insisted._

 _He wasn't surprised at all, seeing as how he's really gotten to know Hermione's independent and assertive ways. Hermione was a brilliant young woman who was a force not to be reckoned with._

" _On top of_ all _of this, my student visa is about to expire!" she dejectedly said._

 _Sirius, himself, had completely forgotten about that. Time had flown by relatively fast because Sirius had genuinely enjoyed mentoring Hermione. She was hard-working, intelligent, and passionate about their work. By the end of her 2-year student visa, she would have to go back to the human world._

 _Her shoulders visibly slumped as she continued to talk, "For once, Sirius, I finally feel like I'm in a place where I fit in. I can't explain these feelings exactly but… for some reason…this place, being here at Hogwarts, being here in the wizarding world…is what feels like my true home." She stared off into the sunset for a while longer before shaking her head and forcing herself to start organizing the bookshelf once more._

It's not like I have any family or friends to go back to anyway.

 _Sirius felt sorry for the Hermione. He had grown to care for her in a fatherly way. She was an amazing student and an even more brilliant intern. In all of his years at Hogwarts he had never met such a profound person. He knew about her situation and hated to see such a talent go to waste in the human world._

She has so much potential. _Sirius thought._

 _Suddenly, their conversation was rudely interrupted. He saw one of the Quidditch players zoom by outside of his window, going lightening fast. He was about to go outside and scold the player for coming too close to school facilities, but an idea stopped him in his tracks._

" _Hermione! You said that your visa is about to expire right? I think I may have a solution. Are you free two weekends from now for dinner?"_

 _Hermione froze at the bookshelf for a second before turning around. Hermione's eyes lit up with a new hope and she said, "I'll set aside everything. This is great news! What exactly did you have in mind?"_

 _Sirius was thinking about a certain raven-haired nephew of his that he thought would be perfect for the situation._

 **End of Flashback**

"… and that brings us to the present," Sirius finished proudly, "I know that you've been endlessly complaining to me about not being able to find a way to get full access to all of your inheritance, and with that your parent's properties, before it all gets donated to charity; so I thought that this would be the best solution!"

Harry shook his head in irritation. "I hate how my parents used my marriage as a deadline for this. You do not need to get involved with this Sirius. Really. It's my problem. I will deal with it by myself. I _have been_ fine. I _will_ be fine."

Harry's little speech didn't stop Sirius and he continued, "But you've also said a handful of times that you've had no luck finding a suitable partner right?"

"Well, it's only because they only want to use me. All of these women throw themselves at the great _Harry Potter_. They want the title. They want the money. They want the fame. No one actually cares about me." Harry scoffed. "And I most certainly will not aid them in their gold digging endeavors."

"Hello!" Sirius exclaimed as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Do you not see who is sitting across from you? _Hermione_ is the solution to your problem. She is not only a brilliant woman who will easily ace whatever the wizard immigration throws at you, but she is also one of the kindest and most thoughtful persons that I have ever had the pleasure to meet. Please believe me when I say that she is not after your fame or your fortune. At the end of the marriage, you will simply part ways and there will be no strings attached. Isn't that what you want?" Sirius insisted.

Harry didn't respond and still looked unconvinced, despite Sirius' rationale.

There was more silence.

Sirius told Hermione that he could handle his nephew and to try her best to not comment, for he knew that Harry was unwelcoming to new people. However, Hermione could see that Sirius was drowning and so she decided to speak up.

She cleared her throat before she began. Harry was so caught up in his own thoughts about whether or not he should even consider Sirius' plan, that he forgot Hermione was there. He annoyingly shifted his eyes to her, but was surprised at what he saw.

The angry look that he was accustomed to had completely disappeared and was replaced with a that of a scared little girl.

"If it means anything to you… the reason why obtaining my wizard citizenship is so important to me," Hermione paused. She stared hardly at her glass of water.

She felt the tears well up in her eyes. _Don't cry. Don't cry. Hermione Jean Granger don't you dare._ She managed to blink them away before they had a chance to fall, but not without Harry noticing.

"…is because my parents died. In a car accident. A few years ago. England was too much to bear, so I left. And after many years of constantly being on the move, never having a chance to settle down, make new friends, and start anew because it never felt right…I've finally found a place that feels like home. A place where I belong. Here, in the wizarding world."

She lifted her eyes from the glass and met his.

"Whatever it takes. I will see this through. I will make sure that you get your inheritance. I give you my word." Hermione said with a determined tone.

Quite honestly, all Harry wanted to do was give her a hug. He felt her pain. He understood what it felt like to lose your loved ones in a matter of seconds. What used to be an undeniable tug was now an irresistible pull. Harry couldn't understand why he felt that way.

 _Don't do it Harry._

"All you have to do is say yes." Sirius quietly said.

 _You don't need her Harry._

He leaned back into his chair and folded his arms across his chest. He knew that he was running out of time to claim his inheritance. He knew that he couldn't trust any of the bimbos that threw themselves at him.

He looked at Hermione, into her pools of chocolate. She was a smart and competent woman who would only get him what he needs. She even has Sirius' approval, which meant a lot to Harry. The best part of the situation was that it was strictly business. They needed each other. Then they would part. She wouldn't hurt him because he could never possibly fall in love with this girl. _She's loud and obnoxious and bossy and simply annoying! There's no way._

Another thought crossed Harry's mind unwillingly. He honestly couldn't believe that the girl that had infuriated him weeks ago was the same girl that ignited a new fire in his chest, was the same girl who was asking him to marry her. Fate works in a funny way.

 _You're going to regret this Harry._

For the first time, in a long time, Harry silenced his distrustful instincts.

"So, what do we need to do?"

 _TeeRisha_

Sirius let out a huge sigh in relief and cheered, "And he finally said yes!"

Hermione's eyes lit up as she gaped at Harry, "Really?"

Harry lazily rolled his eyes, "Really, really."

"You're not joking? I swear Merlin that I will hex you, Potter, if you're joking—"

"Are you trying to convince me to take it back? Because I can easily—"

Before Harry could finish his sentence, Hermione had thrown herself at him and gripped him into a tight bear hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Harry looked down at the girl that had her arms securely wrapped around his waist and was taken aback by her embrace. After a few seconds of realizing what she had done, she awkwardly jumped back, face in full flush.

"Sorry about that. I just got really really excited."

"Already falling for me, love? I thought you said you were different from other girls."

"It won't happen again, Potter."

"It better not. How many more of my designer suits need to be ruined because of you?" he deadpanned.

She shot him glare and muttered under her breath, "Privileged rich egomaniac."

Harry narrowed his eyes, "What was that?"

Hermione said, "Oh nothing," followed by an innocent smile before smoothing down her dress and going back to her seat.

Harry narrowed her eyes at her, clearly not believing her. Sirius looked between the two and could have sworn that he sensed something between them, but shook it off.

"Splendid! Since everyone is now on board, let us get to the logistics of the marriage of Mr. Harry Potter and Ms. Hermione Granger."

Sirius shifted to his business mode.

"The media has always been aware of that fact that Harry is a really private person, so we can use this to our advantage and merely say that you two have been dating for a while, but on the low. We will need to stage and take pictures of you two. And we will need lots of it. This will serve as the evidence of your history together and set the foundation for your love story.

"The pictures need to show how you fell madly in love in each other, which eventually ended in your quick marriage to one another. Your pictures will consist of going on holiday, having celebrations, hanging out with friends, etc. It will be your decisions as to whether or not you want to trust your best friends with the reality the situation. In my opinion, it's always good to have a couple people in on it, but just remember to be careful. I'll leave it to you. We will gradually leak these 'exclusive' photos to Rita Skeeter. With Harry, and his notorious playboy ways, the news of him finally settling down will cause an enormous heyday for reporters. The news will surely spread like wildfire.

"Then, the two of you will need to get legally married and have it officially on paper. Hermione, you will need a wedding dress, preferably white. Harry, you will need to get a nice suit. The two of you will need wedding bands. Hmm, we should also throw in an engagement ring as well. We are going to have a small civil wedding, with just the three of us in attendance. I will serve as your witness.

"As for your first public appearance together as Mr. and Mrs. Harry Potter, we can use the Potter Foundation's annual Charity Ball. There will be tons of photographers there. It'll be perfect for your physical debut.

"Everything okay so far?" Sirius asked.

Harry blinked a few times. Everything was happening so fast. He could barely keep up while Hermione was readily soaking in all of the information as it came and nodded.

"Actually, this dinner right now would be a great photo!" Sirius excitedly said and took out a camera. "I want you two to face each other."

When the two didn't move, Sirius said, "Come on guys! This will only work if you listen to me."

Harry and Hermione faced each other. Their expressions were as dry as the Sahara Desert and as cold as the Russian tundra. Sirius shook his head.

"No, no, no! Lovers don't _glare_ at each other," Sirius pointed out, "you guys need to be smiling instead of scowling,"

"I'm sorry, but it's kind of hard when I don't mean it," Harry said as he fake-smiled.

"At least we can agree on one thing," Hermione simply stated.

"This isn't working. Okay, the both of you need to close your eyes. Right now." And thankfully they did without protest. "Think about your happy place and go there. Breathe in and breathe out."

Harry saw his parents.

Hermione saw her parents.

Both of their expressions softened at the thought of their loved ones.

After 5 minutes Sirius said, "Now, when you open your eyes, imagine that you are going to meet the eyes of the love of your life and that you are on top of the world and bursting with nothing but love and joy. 1…2…3!"

They opened their eyes.

Chocolates met Emeralds.

Time froze for a split second.

 _Click._

Their moment was interrupted by Sirius and the flash of his camera. The spell broke. Harry and Hermione immediately looked away from each other. Hermione took a swig of her water as Harry coughed to the side.

"Perfect! See? It wasn't that bad. That shot was actually really good. We can have a longer photo shoot tomorrow!"

"Wait, Sirius, I have practice practically _all day_ tomorrow." Harry stated.

Sirius thought for a second and an idea popped into his head. "That's actually better! Hermione needs to start showing up in your world and vice versa. We can start there."

"I'm supposed to just bring her to the Quidditch pitch? And pretend that I'm in love with her there? In front of all of my friends? They don't even know her!" Harry exclaimed.

Hermione scoffed. "Hello Potter, it takes two to tango. Do you know how hard it's going to be to pretend to be in love with an arse like you?" Hermione said with a raised eyebrow.

"You got to start somewhere," Sirius concluded.

 **End of chapter 2**

A/N: ONE MINUTE of your time for a review is what keeps me going and chapters steadily coming! I hope that you enjoyed it and join me on this wonderful love story! R&R! 3

 _xoxo,_

 _TeeRisha_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you to all of the wonderful reviews! They are so humbling and make me want to work harder. They also help me improve my story because I'm far from perfect and so I make some mistakes here and there. To clear up a few more things: Harry and Hermione are in their mid-20s. Harry's team is the Galfore Gryffindors. The terms of Harry's inheritance will be further explained in the chapter after this one I believe.**

 **Don't forget to hit that REVIEW button and leave me your thoughts! Your comment for over 12 pages of my writing isn't too bad of a deal right? ;)**

 **This is the LONGEST chapter so far! I'M SO EXCITED! I hope that you enjoy it! I love you all.**

 **Full Summary:** Harry and Hermione both need each other. Harry wants access to his inheritance. Hermione needs her wizard citizenship. Both things require marriage. At the urging of Harry's uncle and Hermione's mentor, the two embark on a journey where they encounter immigration officers, awkward living situations, unexpected jealousy, and undiscovered feelings. When did pretending stop being pretending? Read on to find out.

Disclaimer: I do not own the wonderful wizarding world of Harry Potter. I'm just borrowing JK Rowling's characters for a little bit ;)

 **Chapter 3**

Hermione really wasn't all that familiar with the sport of Quidditch. She didn't have the interest or even just the time to be giving attention to a game that she found to be quite barbaric. As she stared at her closet, trying to decide what to wear, she could not believe that she was about to go waste time watching a sport she couldn't care less about. _It's for your citizenship. It's for your citizenship._ Hermione reminded herself.

Sirius had given her the exact location to apparate to and told her that he'd just meet her there because he had some quick errands to run. She didn't really think too much about the weather and opted for a simple cardigan with a pair of jeans. Just as she was about to leave her flat, she spotted her favorite book peak out from under a blanket. She quickly grabbed it and then headed to the Quidditch fields.

As she entered the arena, that proudly dawned the Galfore Gryffindors emblem, the reality of Harry's popularity became especially apparent to Hermione. _He really wasn't kidding when he said he was famous._ There were posters of him everywhere. It covered nearly every space where something could be hung. She moved closer to one of the posted flyers and examined it. It was a picture of Harry on his broomstick, victoriously giving a double fist pump into the air. His team had won the Quidditch World Cup three years in a row and he always led it with the capture of the snitch.

 _More fuel to add to the fire of his big ego,_ Hermione thought and rolled her eyes.

She thanked the kind, old man that led her to the private stands for the families of the players. This was her first time ever seeing a stadium, let alone a full sized Quidditch stadium, and was in absolute awe at its massive size. _Its size actually makes sense. The players would need a lot of space to fly around right?_

She made herself comfortable one of the benches and swiftly took out her book. Hermione had originally intended on rereading Hogwarts: A History, as a means of getting through Harry's practice as productively as possible. Thirty minutes hadn't even passed yet, before one of the players whizzed past her, at speeds only Merlin knows, that the wind knocked the book right out of her hands. Its old and raggedly condition caused a flurry of papers to fly everywhere as it fell hundreds of feet into oblivion. This instantly brought full her attention to what was happening on the field in front of her.

It took her a second to process what had happened before she frowned and screamed, "You git! That was my favorite book!"

That book, in particular, was the first version that she had ever bought; it had a lot of sentimental value for her. She wanted to scream at Harry for being the reason why she was there in the first place, but couldn't find him to do so. She knew that yelling at him would be extremely childish, but she couldn't help it. Her book was irreplaceable. After a few minutes, she gave a loud sigh and calmed down.

She searched the field for Harry. She leaned over the stands to try to get a closer look at the players. She realized that she didn't even know the jersey number of her soon-to-be husband. She almost fell out of the stands when a figure suddenly appeared directly in front of her.

"Bloody hell!" Hermione yelped as she jumped back.

"Looking for me?" Harry said with a smirk.

Just when she thought that Harry couldn't look any better, he slaps on a Quidditch uniform and bam! He looks even better. His uniform practically molded to his form and only accentuated his best physical features.

"Don't be so full of yourself. I was merely admiring the nice view from up here." Hermione said flatly.

He flew in a little closer. "View of me?" Hermione could see the flecks of forest green amongst his Emeralds.

 _Gorgeous._ She blinked. _Snap out of it._

She raised her eyebrow. "You're actually kind of funny, now that I think about it," Hermione said.

Harry scanned over her clothes with a questioning look.

"You should have come in my Quidditch jacket—" Before Harry could add his genuine concern for her getting cold, she interrupted.

Hermione scoffed. "Why would I need that?"

All concern gone, Harry narrowed his eyes. "It doesn't feel right for my _wifey_ to be lacking my… _mark_."

"I am not your _property_ Potter."

"Normally, other girls would love repping me," Harry stated matter-of-factly.

"Well I'm not like 'other girls'. I actually have a mind of my own, thank you very much. You can go and catch your balls or whatever else you do," and with that Hermione plopped down onto her seat and propped open her back up book, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Harry looked at her with an appalled expression, "You did not just call my sport the sport of _catching balls_. This is not as easy as it looks you know,"

"And what if I did? What are you going to do about it?" she said mockingly.

Harry's coach bellowed for all of the players to come. Harry was very very tempted to continue their bickering but willingly left. Hermione smiled victoriously.

 _TeeRisha_

She didn't realize that she would be seated at such a high altitude. She underestimated the chill that the winds would bring.

Harry came by to check on Hermione again. "You look horrible," he said with a laugh.

"I stayed out here for you, you idiot!" she said harshly as she tried to control her teeth chattering.

"For me? I'm flattered,"

Harry thought that the thin layer of dew drops that formed on the top her head was a very amusing sight.

"I have deduced that you are completely mad. How is this funny to you?" Hermione yelled at him before sneezing.

" _Accio_ Quidditch jacket," Harry said and threw his jacket to Hermione. "Here."

Hermione took the jacket off of her face. Hermione shot Harry a glare and skipped on the "thank you." She couldn't help but drown in the scent of his jacket. It smelled absolutely divine, not that she would ever tell him that.

"Let's go for some hot butterbeer at Hogsmeade." Harry suggested, completely ignoring her scowl.

"You're paying." She said coldly.

"Why Hermione, I didn't think that you out of _all_ people would be so sexist to think that a man should pay for everything?' Harry said shockingly.

Hermione wanted to hit Harry. He gave her a genuine smile and Hermione hated how she found it cute because she was trying to stay angry at him.

"You've been sitting there for a couple of hours now," Harry pointed out, "main practice is done, why don't you come and join us for a little bit?"

"I am not going to participate in such a barbaric sport about catching balls."

"You're no fun. Join us! I have a spare broom you can borrow," Harry insisted.

"No way. First of all, I am _freezing_. And second of all, I am _deathly_ afraid of heights." She admitted without thinking and froze. Harry's eyes twinkled mischievously. She immediately recognized it, for she's seen it a countless amount of times with Sirius. It was too late to take back her words. Her admission sparked an idea in Harry.

"Potter. Don't you _dare._ " Hermione warned. He innocently held up his hands in defense.

"What do you mean? But, Hermione, since you aren't going to go play with us, could you at _least_ help me tighten this lose strap on my back. I really can't seem to reach it and the next practice game is about to start,"

She stared at him with her arms folded. "No."

"Please." Harry insisted. She gave a sigh and rolled her eyes, "Fine. Where?"

"Can you see it?"

 _Come on Hermione. Closer._

"No I can't see it! Where was it again?" she said as she felt around his back.

 _Such strong muscles…I can feel them even through all these layers._ Hermione quickly caught herself. She silently thanked the weather for making her blush seem less noticeable.

"I think that if you leaned in a little closer that it would help you find it." Harry urged.

 _Closer._

"I swear that it's not here! What on earth are you—"

Before Hermione could finish her sentence, Harry dropped down his broom, causing Hermione to fall perfectly behind him.

"I highly recommend that you hold onto me tightly," Harry said as he placed her arms around his waist and without warning zoomed straight into the sky.

Hermione screamed like bloody murder. She forced her eyes shut. Her tight bun came apart. Harry gave a large whoot into the air and did a few loops. He loved the speeds he could reach. He loved the rush of exhilaration. He loved the intoxicating sensations. But most of all, he loved the freedom that came with flying.

It wasn't until Hermione tightened her, already bone crushing, grip on his waist that he remembered that her presence. Her face was firmly glued to his back. The only phrase that Hermione could manage to get out, between all of her screaming was, "I'm going to kill you Potter!"

Harry only laughed. He peeked over his shoulder to see how she was doing. Her wavy locks fluttered uncontrollably. He thought that her entire reaction was very cute.

And then…

 **BOOM**

Harry felt a strong force ram into his side. He winced in pain.

Upon impact, Hermione's grip on Harry broke.

Everything after the collision happened so fast.

"Harry!" Hermione shrieked.

The weight originally on his back disappeared. Harry's eyes widened. He quickly spun around in frantic search for Hermione.

Hermione's screams filled the stadium. She was freefalling. And freefalling _fast_.

Harry's heart skipped a beat. A huge wave of adrenaline took over his bloodstream. With the sharp instincts that made him the best Seeker in the world, Harry nose dived towards Hermione's falling figure.

 _Come on._

She was getting closer and closer to the ground.

 _Almost there._

Harry willed his broom to go dangerously faster.

 _Hermione…_

Harry caught her just a few feet from the ground. She opened her eyes.

 _Harry…_

The unexpected weight threw off the balance of the broomstick. Harry lost control and the ride became instantly crazy as the broom violently shook. Hermione braced herself for impact, but was surprised when she only felt a soft thud.

There was dust flying everywhere, in all directions. She shielded her eyes and coughed into her shoulder. When it finally settled she realized that it was Harry who had taken most of the impact of their crash. He laid unnaturally still underneath her, his back flat on the ground.

Hermione looked down at Harry's unresponsive face. His eyes were peacefully closed. He wasn't moving. She started to panic.

"Potter." She said hoarsely as she placed her hands on his chest.

No response.

"Potter!" she said more strongly and started to lightly pat his face.

Still no response.

She placed her ear to his chest and listened carefully.

She heard a feint bump bump.

 _Oh thank Merlin there's a pulse._

She went back up to Harry's face. She hovered over him and took his face into her hands. "Please be okay. You saved me. Look! Please wake up. Harry…"

Hermione was in a too frantic of a state to notice the flow of power that coursed through her veins and transferred to the unconscious man beneath her. Harry felt a light entity shine through him. His eyes opened in a flash. Hermione quickly pulled him into a bear hug. Harry groaned in pain.

"Sorry!" Hermione automatically said and released him from her embrace. The rest of the Quidditch team had arrived and surrounded the pair. Hermione helped Harry stand up. He leaned on her for support.

As soon as Harry spotted the guy who was caused the entire thing to happen, he magically regained all of his strength and left Hermione's hold.

" _You._ "

Harry was absolutely livid. The youngest, and newest, person addition to their team was a chap from Greece named Clark. He froze in place and looked absolutely terror stricken because he knew exactly why Harry was fuming.

"I'm so sorry Mr. Potter! I wasn't—thinking and—I'm sorry! It was so foolish of me—,"

Harry's voice boomed throughout the arena. "If anything, and I mean _anything_ so much as a scratch, had happened to my fiancé, you would've been fully responsible and that alone would have been _the end_ of—"

"Harry, mate, he's just starting to learn our—" one his best friends, Ron, tried to reason with him.

Harry was arguably one of the best captains in the Quidditch realm because of his strict ways, but it sometimes got a little bit out of hand. When Harry Potter got mad, he was relentless. This wasn't the first time the team heard Harry berate a team member for bad performance. Although it was tough love, they knew it was only because Harry wanted them to be the best. And they were. But this new anger was quite different. The team had never seen this type of angry Harry, despite being with him for several years now.

"Stay out of this!" Harry yelled as he shoved Ron off of his shoulder, "this reckless _git_ almost—"

The young lad hung his head in shame. Clark looked like he was on the verge of tears. His very own idol, one that he had looked up to for so many years, was yelling and yelling at him. Hermione felt really bad for the guy. _Accidents happen._

Hermione quickly stood in front of Harry in an attempt to put some space between the two. She didn't care that he was seething and didn't let him scare her away.

"Potter."

Harry was still in full attack and didn't pay attention to her.

"Potter."

He continued to yell. He was too consumed with anger.

"Harry." She took his face into her hands, but he still refused to meet her eyes.

"Look at me." She pleaded. With a stronger tug, she forced him to look at her.

They held each other's gaze for what Hermione felt like to be hours, until Harry finally let her in. "It was an accident. I'm okay. And it was because you saved me."

"I'm okay." Hermione said encouragingly and managed a small smile. He let her lead him out of the dark and he saw the light.

She felt his tense shoulders drop. His deep frown lessened. He closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. Hermione did a little victory dance in her mind at the fact that she was able to successfully calm him down. She let one hand fall to her side and kept the other on his face, to let him know that everything will be fine. She was going to put her hand down and was surprised when Harry grabbed it and held it for a moment longer.

"Wait, hold on, fiancé?" someone shouted in the background.

"Wow she's _really_ smashing!" someone observed.

"Where did you meet her Harry?" someone questioned.

"Our playboy Captain is turning a new leaf? Blimey, I feel inspired!" someone added.

"She can tame the beast! Amazing." someone quipped.

"Quiet!" Harry bellowed and the team immediately shut their mouths. He had a throbbing headache and couldn't deal with their interrogation. He made his way out of the crowd. Hermione watched him angrily stomp away.

The entire team closed the gap, surrounded Hermione, and bombarded her with an endless stream of questions. She stood there like a deer caught in headlights. There was so much commotion and so much testosterone. She felt absolutely claustrophobic.

Suddenly, two males calmed down the mob and parted the crowd to get directly to her. A platinum blonde and a redhead soon stood in front of Hermione.

"Well well well, who do we have here?" the ginger said with a playful smile.

"Why, Ron, it appears to be the lady responsible for breaking our very own, Harry Potter's, streak of women." The blonde teased. "I'm Draco. Draco Malfoy. Tell me, love, what is your name?"

"Hermione." She said curtly.

"Tell us your secret Ms. _Hermione_. How exactly did you get him to finally commit?" Ron inquired.

She quickly looked between the two and decided that it would be best if she found Harry. She gave them an awkward smile.

"I should probably go check on Potter—,"

 _Whoops. No sign of endearment there._

The pair raised their eyebrows in a questioning manner.

"—or I meant—um—soon-to-be! Hubby?" Hermione nervously suggested. She blinked twice before jogging away to the locker rooms.

Draco and Ron looked at each other in a way that communicated that something felt off.

 _TeeRisha_

Hermione quickly entered the locker room, in search of Harry. She passed a few aisles until she got to the end. She saw a familiar raven-haired person sitting on one of the benches. He briefly flashed her with his abs as he pulled a fresh white sleeveless shirt over his head. Harry had taken a quick hot shower to rinse off the dust and dirt. The adrenaline had almost fully exited his system, so he was starting to feel the full pain of the beating his body took.

"Hey…" Hermione started and Harry turned to her as he finished drying off his hair with a towel.

He nodded in her direction to greet her, "Hey."

"Well…I just wanted to say… thank you. For what happened back there."

He shrugged it off. "Don't mention it. Can't have my partner dying on me or else I can kiss my inheritance good-bye right?"

 _Of course all he cares about is himself._ Hermione couldn't help the twang of disappointment that rushed through her. "Right! Have to be in tip-top shape for when we go see the immigration officers," she forced out, trying to conceal her true feelings.

Harry cursed as he moved his right shoulder. It was the one that took most of the impact from the fall. Hermione instinctively went towards him to inspect the damage.

Harry started to get up to try to escape, "I'm fine." She gently touched his shoulder and he flinched. Hermione frowned.

"Stop being so stubborn. You're only going to make it worse," Hermione scolded and firmly sat Harry back down. "I'm going to grab some hot packs and bandages. Stay put."

She saw Harry eyeing the door. "The more you sprain it, the more you won't be able to play Quidditch," she warned. At that statement, Harry gave in.

She quickly came back with the supplies and expertly went to work. She rubbed ointment on his open cuts to prevent them from getting infected, to which Harry hissed at in pain. She placed bandages on wounds to stop them from bleeding. She gently raised his arm so that she could wrap several layers of bandages on his shoulder.

She was almost finished. There was just one thing left.

"I need you to take your glasses off," Hermione asked. Harry was hesitant at first, but with Hermione's warm tone he slowly took them off. His glasses were yet another barrier that he put up with other people and he surprised at how easy it was to put it down around her, literally speaking. Trust was a whole other conversation.

"Thank you," Hermione said softly.

She quietly tended to the small cut on his eyebrow. Their faces were merely a few inches apart. Hermione could see the water droplets on his hair.

Harry stared at her concentrated face. It suddenly reminded him their first encounter at the bar. She was the brown-eyed beauty that didn't care for his name and moved at her own free will.

"You don't have to take care of me." Harry reminded her, reiterating his words to Sirius from the previous night at their dinner.

"Of course I don't _have_ to," Hermione said with a roll of her eyes.

"Then why are you—"

"Because I _want_ to." Her statement quieted Harry. "Why are you so defensive about people helping you anyway?"

He didn't respond.

She avoided his gaze.

She felt his eyes staring at her and she willed herself not to stare back. For she knew that once she stared into those green orbs of his, she would immediately get lost in them. She put all of her focus onto the cotton swab that was applying medicine to his wound. It was pretty ridiculous how much effort she was giving towards such a small little cut.

Her hair was a mess and was everywhere. A thin lock of hair escaped her ear. Harry reflexively leaned in to catch it. Harry gingerly placed it back to where it came from. His undamaged hand lingered by the side of her face. He stayed in the same place and didn't move back. Her fingers froze in place and instinctively turned her eyes to meet Harry's.

 _Damn it._

There was no turning back at this point. She couldn't break his gaze. She fell into his gravity.

There it was again. The familiar tug they undoubtedly felt for each other. It was the same one that drew them together in the first place on that fateful night at the bar.

There were no other sounds in the room aside from their breathing.

Harry stared down at her long lashes; being so close allowed him to fully appreciate them.

Hermione's eyes flickered down to his lips.

Harry caught her staring, to which Hermione flushed at in response.

That was all the confirmation that Harry needed.

She felt him lean in and her breath hitched.

Harry couldn't stop the pull that he felt towards her.

Hermione didn't push away his pull.

Her eyes slowly closed.

She felt his shaky breath on her lips.

Their faces were now only a few centimeters apart.

The gap was slowly…but steadily… closing.

And then—

 _*Click*_

 **End of Chapter 3**

A/N: ONE MINUTE of your time for a review is what keeps me going and chapters steadily coming! ;) I hope that you enjoyed! R&R!

 _xoxo,_

 _TeeRisha_


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